Nitrate formation mechanisms causing high concentration of PM2.5 in a residential city with low anthropogenic emissions during cold season.

During the cold season in South Korea, NO3- concentrations are known to significantly increase, often causing PM2.5 to exceed air quality standards. This study investigated the formation mechanisms of NO3- in a suburban area with low anthropogenic emissions. The average PM2.5 was 25.3 µg m-3, with NO3- identified as the largest contributor. Ammonium-rich conditions prevailed throughout the study period, coupled with low atmospheric temperature facilitating the transfer of gaseous HNO3 into the particulate phase. This result indicates that the formation of HNO3 played a crucial role in determining particulate NO3- concentration. Nocturnal increases in NO3- were observed alongside increasing ozone (O3) and relative humidity (RH), emphasizing the significance of heterogeneous reactions involving N2O5. NO3- concentrations at the study site were notably higher than in Seoul, the upwind metropolitan area, during a high concentration episode. This difference could potentially attributed to lower local NO concentrations, which enhanced the reaction between O3 and NO2, to produce NO3 radicals. High concentrations of Cl- and dust were also identified as contributors to the elevated NO3- concentrations.

Population-level call properties of endangered Dryophytes suweonensissensu lato (Anura: Amphibia) in South Korea.

Calling is one of the unique amphibian characteristics that facilitates social communication and shows individuality; however, it also makes them vulnerable to predators. Researchers use amphibian call properties to study their population status, ecology, and behavior. This research scope has recently broadened to species identification and taxonomy. Dryophytes flaviventris has been separated from the endangered anuran species, D. suweonensis, based on small variations in genetic, morphometric, and temporal call properties observed in South Korea. The Chilgap Mountain (CM) was considered as the potential geographic barrier for the speciation. However, it initiated taxonomic debates as CM has been hardly used and is considered a potential barrier for other species. The calls of populations from both sides are also apparently similar. Thus, to verify the differences in call properties among populations of D. suweonensis sensu lato (s.l.; both of the species), we sampled and analyzed call data from five localities covering its distribution range, including the southern (S) and northern (N) parts of CM. We found significant differences in many call properties among populations; however, no specific pattern was observed. Some geographically close populations, such as Iksan (S), Wanju (S), and Gunsan (S), had significant differences, whereas many distant populations, such as Pyeongtaek (N) and Wanju (S), had no significant differences. Considering the goal of this study was only to observe the call properties, we cautiously conclude that the differences are at the population level rather than the species level. Our study indicates the necessity of further investigation into the specific status of D. flaviventris using robust integrated taxonomic approaches, including genetic and morphological parameters from a broader array of localities.

Tiered human health risk assessment of antibacterial quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) in dishwashing detergents.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are widely used in consumer products because of their unique antibacterial properties, and dishwashing detergents are a major source of exposure through oral, inhalation, and dermal routes. The three classes of QACs, including benzalkonium chloride (BAC), n-alkyldimethylethylbenzylammonium chloride (ADEBAC), and di-n-alkyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), in spray and non-spray types of dishwashing detergents were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. A tiered risk assessment approach was also considered. In the Tier 1 assessment, the mean and worst-case exposure were estimated to screen for rough exposure and risk levels. In the Tier 2 assessment, mean and upper-tail exposure levels were calculated based on the exposure parameters of Korean consumers using Monte Carlo simulation. QACs had a low frequency of detection of up to 20% in dishwashing detergents, and the contents of detected QACs varied depending on the individual samples. Based on the results of the Tier 1 assessment, BACs and DDACs posed potential health risks via inhalation and dermal routes. Tier 2 assessment suggested that the current level of oral and dermal exposure of Korean consumers to QACs in dishwashing detergents is unlikely to pose a health risk, even for upper-tail exposure groups. However, the present results suggest that spray-type DDACs may pose a health risk in the upper-tail inhalation exposure group, and further investigation is required to clarify this risk.

Nonsustained atrial tachycardia in 24-hour Holter monitoring: a potential cardiac source of embolism in acute ischemic stroke.

Background: Whether nonsustained atrial tachycardia (NSAT) has a causative role similar to paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in ischemic stroke is unclear. We investigated the clinical and imaging features of ischemic stroke patients with NSAT to demonstrate that these patients would have a higher proportion of embolic strokes. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed ischemic stroke patients who underwent Holter monitoring and selected patients with NSAT. The clinical and imaging characteristics were compared between patients with and without NSAT, and the risk factors for embolic stroke were evaluated. Moreover, the images of the selected patients were analyzed according to the Trials of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification. Results: From a total of 1,051 patients who had 24-hour Holter monitoring, 681 patients were selected for the study. Among the selected patients, NSAT was detected in 243 patients. The patients with NSAT had a significantly higher proportion of imaging findings suggestive of cerebral embolism compared with patients without NSAT (27% vs. 14%, P<0.001). Moreover, the presence of NSAT was a statistically significant factor associated with imaging findings suggestive of cerebral embolism in the univariate (OR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.51-3.27; P<0.001) and multivariate (OR, 2.26; 95% CI, 1.53-3.34; P<0.001) analyses. The patients with NSAT had a significantly older age at diagnosis, higher proportion of female sex, higher proportion of hypertension, lower proportion of smokers, higher CHA2DS2-VASc score, and higher left atrium index value compared with patients without NSAT. Conclusions: The embolic pattern of acute ischemic stroke in patients with NSAT was frequently observed and shared clinical characteristics of AF rather than those of atherosclerosis. As NSAT may be a potential source of cardiac embolism, we suggest a more intensive search for modifiable risk factors such as AF in ischemic stroke in patients with NSAT.

Hormesis effects of gamma radiation on growth of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa).

PURPOSE: Quinoa is an annual plant that grows well in high altitude regions with high radiation and ultraviolet intensity. It has known that high-dose radiation damages living organisms, but low-dose radiation also has a beneficial effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the hormesis effect of gamma-ray on quinoa by growth analysis and hyperspectral imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Quinoa seeds were irradiated at 50, 100, and 200 Gy emitted by 60CO. Subsequently, the seeds were germinated and transplanted into pots, then conducted growth analysis and physiological evaluation every week, and hyperspectral imaging. Photosynthetic ability was measured at 35 days after transplanting (DAT), and the plants for each dose were divided into aerial and underground parts for biomass evaluation at 91 DAT. Various vegetation indices were estimated from 14 to 35 DAT by hyperspectral analysis, and the specific bands were extracted based on the PLS model using plant height, SPAD value, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. RESULTS: We found that plant height and biomass were increased in quinoa plants treated with a low dose (50 Gy) as compared to control. Chlorophyll content and chlorophyll fluorescence were not different between doses at the early growth stage, but as growth progressed, the plant irradiated at 200 Gy began to be lower. The photosynthetic ability of the quinoa plant treated at 50 Gy was greater than other plants at 35 DAT. The vegetation indices related to the pigment status also were higher in the plants treated by irradiation at 50 Gy than the plants grown in other doses treatment units at the beginning of the growth. Using the PLS model we collected sensitive band wavelengths from hyperspectral image analysis. Among the collected bands, eight bands closely related to plant height, nine bands to chlorophyll content, and ten bands to chlorophyll fluorescence were identified. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the growth and physiological parameters of quinoa treated by low dose gamma irradiation to seeds were greater than that of control as well as the plant with higher doses. These findings confirm that the positive changes in the characteristics of quinoa with low dose radiation indicated that hormesis occurs at 50 Gy radiation.

Moral Reasoning about Aggressive Behavior in Relation to Type of Aggression, Age and Gender in South Korean Pupils.

Studies of moral reasoning in relation to aggressive behaviors have paid limited attention to different types of aggression, and have mainly been conducted in Western societies. We describe findings from a study of 157 children, aged 6 or 11 years, from two schools in South Korea. Using a cartoon scenario methodology, we assessed moral reasoning about eight types of aggression: verbal, physical individual, physical group, social exclusion, rumor spreading, breaking one's belongings, sending a nasty text via mobile phone, and sending a nasty message/email via computer. Four aspects of moral reasoning were assessed: moral judgment, harmfulness, reason for judgment, and causal responsibility. Many significant differences by type of aggression were found, especially for social exclusion (seen as less wrong and harmful, and more the victim's responsibility), physical group aggression (seen as more wrong or harmful, and a matter of fairness, especially in older children and boys), and cyber aggression (seen more as the aggressor's responsibility). Older children gave more reasons based on welfare, and fewer "don't know" responses for reasons and attributions. Gender differences were relatively few, but girls did make more use of welfare in the moral reasoning domain. Findings are discussed in relation to previous research and the cultural context in South Korea.

The effect of initial intravitreal tissue plasminogen activator and gas injection on vision improvement in patients with submacular haemorrhage associated with age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To compare visual improvements between initial intravitreal t-PA with gas injection before anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and anti-VEGF injection monotherapy for submacular haemorrhage (SMH) associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of naive patients treated with intravitreal t-PA with gas injection before anti-VEGF (Group 1) or only with intravitreal anti-VEGF injection (Group 2) for SMH [disc area (DA) ≥ 2] associated with AMD from two institutions. Both groups received 3 monthly loads of anti-VEGF injections followed by injections as needed for AMD treatment. Changes in best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA, logMAR) between the initial visit and after 6 months of treatment were compared between two groups. RESULTS: A total of 82 patients were enroled. Of these, 32 patients and 50 patients were grouped in Groups 1 and 2, respectively. The mean change in BCVA over 6 months for Group 1 was -0.52 ± 0.88, which was significantly larger (p = 0.044) than the mean change for Group 2 (-0.15 ± 0.58). We compared visual improvements between the two groups based on the following SMH size categories: ≤5, >5, and ≤15, and >15 DA. When the SMH size was ≤5, or >5 and ≤15 DA, the mean change in BCVA was larger for Group 1 than for Group 2, but this difference was not significant. When SMH size was >15 DA, Group 1 patients exhibited a mean visual improvement of -0.79 ± 0.80, which was significantly greater (p = 0.029) than that of Group 2 (-0.06 ± 0.67). CONCLUSIONS: Patients that were primarily treated for SMH associated with AMD using t-PA and gas injection (followed by anti-VEGF injection) exhibited better visual improvement than those treated with anti-VEGF monotherapy, especially in patients exhibiting larger SMH sizes (>15 DA) at the initial visit.

Determination of toxic metal release from metallic kitchen utensils and their health risks.

The effect of simulants, repeated use, washing, and oiling on the release of toxic metals from metallic kitchen utensils was investigated. The release of As, Cd, Cr, Ni, and Pb from kitchen utensils composed of stainless steel, aluminum, copper alloy, and cast iron into food simulants was quantified using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The results show that this release of toxic metals was highly dependent on pH. Generally, the release of toxic metals tended to decrease with repeated use, and the release of Cr and Ni from stainless steel samples was significantly higher in the first test, compared to the third test. The washing conditions affected the release of As and Cr, whose release levels were higher when washing only with water and with a steel wool pad, respectively. Furthermore, oiling cast iron cookware reduced the release of As, Cd, Cr, and Ni into acidic simulants by 66%, 83%, 71%, and 15%, respectively. The margin of exposure (MOE) was calculated for each toxic metal; the calculated MOE values indicated that it is improbable that the current level of exposure from metallic kitchen utensils would pose a health risk in Korea.

Survey of characteristics of exposure to mainstream cigarette smoke using discarded cigarette butts from Korean smokers.

Evaluating the characteristics of exposure to mainstream cigarette smoke is an essential field in tobacco research because of the large risk burden among smokers. Detailed evaluation of the complex factors pertaining to the exposure of smokers to mainstream cigarette smoke was attempted by analysis of discarded cigarette butts. A total of 5475 samples of discarded cigarette butts was collected to investigate the exposure characteristics in relation to Korean smokers. The basic physico-chemical characteristics of cigarettes, including the filter length, filter type, menthol addition, and nicotine and tar content, were determined and the manufacturer and cigarette size were identified. The tobacco-burned percentage (TBP)) and tar staining were used as physical markers, and actual human exposure to cigarette smoke was determined using the part filter method. Multiple linear regression analyses and generalized ordinal logistic regression analysis were conducted to identify the relationship between the socio-demographic factors and the physico-chemical characteristics of the cigarettes themselves and the exposure characteristics. Significant associations were observed between the TBP and age group, occupational group, manufacturer, tar staining, ISO tar content, and filter length. Increased odds of smoking with a heavier tar stain among Korean smokers were associated with blue collar workers vs. other workers, manufacturer B vs. other manufacturers, recess filter vs. other filter types, ISO tar content, and TBP. Finally, significant associations between the log-transformed human-smoked tar and nicotine yields and occupational group, the TBP, tar staining, and physico-chemical properties of cigarettes were found and were used to propose models for predicting the actual exposure to tar and nicotine. The proposed models account for 60-61% and 47-49% of the variance of human exposure to tar and nicotine, respectively. This analysis of discarded cigarette butts revealed that various factors, including socio-demographic factors such as age group and occupational group, as well as the physico-chemical properties of cigarette products such as the filter type and length, cigarette size, ISO tar and nicotine content, and mentholation, affect the characteristics of exposure of Korean smokers to mainstream cigarette smoke.

Potential for short-term migration of mineral oil hydrocarbons from coated and uncoated food contact paper and board into a fatty food simulant.

Mineral oil hydrocarbons (MOH) are widely used in the food industry for applications such as printing inks, additives, adhesives, and processing aids for food additives. Recently, the migration of MOH from food contact paper and board into foods has raised public health concerns. In this study, a total of 110 food contact paper and board samples, including baking and cooking paper (23), baking cups (28), food packaging bags (22), lunch boxes (8), party plates (26), and straws (3) were evaluated to quantify the content and short-term migration levels of MOH. The MOH were separated into mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH)/polyolefin oligomeric saturated hydrocarbons (POSH) and mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) via a validated on-line liquid chromatography-gas chromatography-flame ionisation detection (LC-GC-FID) technique. The coating materials of the sample products comprised polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and silicone. The effects of the coating materials on the content and migration of MOH/POSH were evaluated. Quantitative analysis of the MOH in the samples showed that the MOSH/POSH and MOAH content varied widely, ranging from 16 to 5626 mg kg-1 for MOH, regardless of the coating materials. Short-term migration of MOSH/POSH was observed only in samples with polyolefinic coatings, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, in experiments conducted at 25 °C for 10 min, although the extent of MOAH migration for all samples was at the trace level. The migration of MOSH/POSH was detected within the range of 0.93 to 62.3 µg L-1 in 22 samples, and the migration of MOAH was detected within the range of 0.80 to 2.6 µg L-1 in only 4 samples. These results demonstrate that although the short-term migration potential of MOH is generally negligible, the migration of MOSH/POSH into wet fatty foods can be accelerated by polyolefinic coatings, even within a very short time.

Kindergarten Teachers' Perspectives on Young Children's Bullying Roles in Relation to Dominance and Peer Relationships: A Short-Term Longitudinal Approach in South Korea.

There are several studies on young children's bullying roles in relation to dominance or peer relationships. Although those are closely related, few studies examined this from longitudinal view and the influence of bullying role change on dominance and peer relationships. This study aimed to examine (1) the relationship between bullying roles and dominance, (2) the relationship between bullying roles and peer relationships, (3) the percentage of bullying role change over time, and (4) the changes in bullying roles in relation to changes in dominance and peer relationships. Sixty-three South Korean kindergarten teachers completed questionnaires regarding bullying roles, dominance, and peer relationships about 1312 children aged 3-5. The data were collected in mid-October 2017 and January 2018. The results showed that bullies had the highest dominance. No-role children had the most positive peer relationships, followed by bullies. About 10% of all sampled children remained involved in bullying over time. Their role changes related to changes in dominance rather than to changes in peer relationships. The findings imply that dominance should be considered to prevent young children's bullying, in which peer relationships are interrelated. Intervention should be implemented as soon as possible to stop repeated victimization or bullying in early childhood.

An optimised method for the rapid analysis of condensed phosphates in fishery and processed marine food products using ion chromatography and microwave sample processing.

Condensed phosphates are deliberately added to the fishery and processed marine food products on purpose to increase the weight of products. However, excessive intake overwhelming bodily homoeostasis can result in phosphate toxicity such as mineral and bone disorders, associated with chronic kidney diseases, and cardiovascular events. Rapid analysis for condensed phosphates is required to detect the illegal adulteration of processed marine products. We optimised an analytical method using ion chromatography for the rapid and selective detection of condensed phosphates in various kinds of fishery and processed marine products. We compared the performance of three columns (IonPac AS11, AS11-HC, and AS16) for the detection of condensed phosphates with respect to time of analysis and sensitivity. The IonPac AS11 column exhibited the shortest retention time for the major condensed phosphates (pyro-, tri-, and trimetaphosphate), the highest sensitivity for trimetaphosphate, and good repeatability and precision. Microwave and boiling processing were examined as methods to prevent hydrolysis of condensed phosphates into orthophosphate, which is critical in distinguishing intentionally added condensed phosphates from naturally occurring orthophosphate. Microwave treatment was determined to be the more effective method to suppress hydrolysis of condensed phosphates to orthophosphate. Furthermore, microwave processing could be used for thawing the frozen samples, saving extra effort and time. We confirmed that the method exhibits good recovery (80% or more) and precision (%RSD < 10%) for samples with various matrices. With the method, 14 kinds of fishery and processed marine food products were successfully analysed for condensed phosphates. Especially, we identified that phosphate levels in the processed shrimp and dried shredded squid samples exceeded the maximum allowable levels specified in the CODEX standard. We believe that our method would be useful for the rapid analysis of condensed phosphates in various types of fishery and processed marine food products.

Mothers' Difficulties and Expectations for Intervention of Bullying among Young Children in South Korea.

This study investigated the difficulties of mothers in coping with the bullying of their children and their expectations concerning bullying intervention for young children in South Korea. Twenty mothers with young children were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed in Korean. Nvivo 12 software was used to analyze the data. Four themes emerged: "mothers' coping strategies", "problems of interventions", "expectations of interventions", and "developmentally appropriate interventions for young children". Each theme was divided into categories and further into subcategories. Mothers used diverse strategies to intervene when their children were bullied and showed dissatisfaction with the current intervention system. Their expectations for interventions for young children were explained in terms of familial, school, and local/governmental levels. These results emphasized that intervention policies for bullying among young children should be urgently established, and intervention programs need to consider the developmental characteristics of young children.

Risk assessment of toxicants on WHO TobReg priority list in mainstream cigarette smoke using human-smoked yields of Korean smokers.

Recently, the World Health Organization Study Group on Tobacco Product Regulation (WHO TobReg) announced a priority list of 38 toxicants among the more than 7000 chemicals found in cigarette smoke, building upon previous lists of toxicants in cigarette smoke. Here, we conducted a comprehensive study on the quantitative exposure and risk characterization of these priority toxicants in mainstream cigarette smoke listed by the WHO TobReg. The human-smoked toxicant yields estimated from spent cigarette butts of a total of 361 smokers using the part-filter method (PFM) were applied to current exposure and risk estimation for the first time. The PFM can estimate human-smoked yields of toxicants using smokers' maximum mouth-level exposure. The human-smoked yield of each toxicant was converted to systemic uptake by considering bioavailability. Risk indicators-including the incremental lifetime cancer risk (ILCR), cumulative ILCR, hazard quotient (HQ), hazard indices (HIs), and margin of exposure (MOE)-were estimated from the systemic uptake of toxicants combined with Korean exposure factors by gender and age group as well as for total smokers. It was demonstrated that cigarette smoking results in significant cancer and non-cancer health risks. A sensitivity analysis showed that the human-smoked toxicant yield is one of the most important contributors to risk level variations. Our risk estimation suggested that previous risk assessments might have ignored or underestimated the uncertainty of risk assessment. In conclusion, we assessed the risk level of the 38 toxicants on the priority list developed by the WHO TobReg and provided a Korean-specific priority list for the regulations on the emission of cigarette smoke.

TED-Seq Identifies the Dynamics of Poly(A) Length during ER Stress.

Post-transcriptional RNA processing is a core mechanism of gene expression control in cell stress response. The poly(A) tail influences mRNA translation and stability, but it is unclear whether there are global roles of poly(A)-tail lengths in cell stress. To address this, we developed tail-end displacement sequencing (TED-seq) for an efficient transcriptome-wide profiling of poly(A) lengths and applied it to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress in human cells. ER stress induced increases in the poly(A) lengths of certain mRNAs, including known ER stress regulators, XBP1, DDIT3, and HSPA5. Importantly, the mRNAs with increased poly(A) lengths are both translationally de-repressed and stabilized. Furthermore, mRNAs in stress-induced RNA granules have shorter poly(A) tails than in the cytoplasm, supporting the view that RNA processing is compartmentalized. In conclusion, TED-seq reveals that poly(A) length is dynamically regulated upon ER stress, with potential consequences for both translation and mRNA turnover.

Mixture risk assessment of selected mainstream cigarette smoke constituents generated from low-yield cigarettes in South Korean smokers.

A total of 38 hazardous constituents in mainstream cigarette smoke of low-yield cigarettes sold in Korea were selected and analyzed using established methods. Risk calculations were performed using risk algorithms employed in previous studies and Korean population-based exposure parameters. The median cumulative incremental lifetime cancer risk of male smokers could vary from 828 × 10-6 to 2510 × 10-6, and that of female smokers could range from 440 × 10-6 to 1300 × 10-6, depending on the smoking regimens. The median hazard index as the sum of hazard quotients of male smokers varied from 367 to 1,225, and that of female smokers varied from 289 to 970, depending on the smoking regimens. The sensitivity analysis for this risk assessment indicated that the constituent yields in mainstream cigarette smoke, average number of cigarettes smoked per day or year, and mouth-spill rate are the main risk factors. Statistical positive correlations between the average daily dose calculated by the exposure algorithm used in this study for individual smokers and biomarkers verified the reliability of this assessment. It could be concluded that inhalation of the constituents present in the mainstream of low-yield cigarettes has significant cancer and non-cancer health risks, although its effect on risk reduction is still unknown under the fixed machine-smoking conditions.

Quantitative analysis of menthol and identification of other flavoring ingredients in capsule cigarettes marketed in Korea.

Currently, capsule cigarettes have been introduced by tobacco industries and their sales have increased exponentially. However, the capsule flavoring ingredients and their safety are still unknown. Although the contents of menthol and other ingredients directly added to cigarettes have been determined extensively, no analogous study exists for menthol-containing cigarette capsules. Basic physical properties of capsules in all 31 different capsule cigarettes commercially available in Korea were investigated, and their menthol contents were determined in this study. Other ingredients in these capsules were also qualitatively analyzed; methyl octanoate, menthone and isopulegol as well as menthol were detected in all the capsules. There is considerable variability in basic physical properties and menthol contents of cigarette capsules depending on their brand styles. The menthol contents of capsules and whole cigarettes are similar or higher than those previously reported for conventional menthol cigarettes. This is the first report on the physical properties of capsules and the fact that a wide range of menthol contents in capsule cigarettes, regardless of flavor types, allows smokers to select menthol content to their liking.

Distinct patterns of amyloid-dependent tau accumulation in Lewy body diseases.

BACKGROUND: In addition to Lewy body pathology, amyloid-ß plaques and neurofibrillary tangles that are characteristic for Alzheimer's disease are also frequently found in Lewy body diseases. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate tau accumulation patterns in dementia with Lewy bodies and other Lewy body diseases using in vivo 18 F-AV-1451 PET. METHODS: The study included 12 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with normal cognition, 22 PD patients with cognitive impairment, and 18 dementia with Lewy bodies patients. In addition, 25 Alzheimer's disease patients and 25 healthy controls were included for comparison. All participants underwent 18 F-AV-1451 and 18 F-florbetaben PET scans, and cortical binding values were compared between the controls and each disease group. RESULTS: When compared with the controls, dementia with Lewy bodies patients showed slightly increased 18 F-AV-1451 binding in the primary sensorimotor and visual cortices and the parieto-temporal cortices, which failed to survive multiple comparisons. Amyloid-positive dementia with Lewy bodies patients showed significantly increased binding in the same regions when compared with controls, and even greater binding in the primary sensorimotor and visual cortices than Alzheimer's disease. Meanwhile, binding in the lateral and medial temporal cortices was less prominent than in Alzheimer's disease. In dementia with Lewy bodies, 18 F-AV-1451 binding in the occipital cortex correlated with 18 F-florbetaben binding. Amyloid-negative patients with normal cognition, patients with cognitive impairment, and dementia with Lewy bodies patients did not show increased 18 F-AV-1451 binding. CONCLUSIONS: Dementia with Lewy bodies patients may harbor 18 F-AV-1451 binding patterns distinct from Alzheimer's disease, with greater involvement of the primary cortices and less involvement of the temporal cortex. Tau burden increases in the Lewy body disease spectrum, and amyloid may play an important role in the accumulation of neocortical tau in Lewy body diseases. © 2017 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Brain regional iron contents in progressive supranuclear palsy.

INTRODUCTION: To determine motor-related brain regions in which iron contents correlate with the degree of motor deficits of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). METHODS: Twenty-four patients with probable PSP and 20 controls were included. Using a 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging scanner, R2* values were measured in the putamen, globus pallidus (GP), substantia nigra (SN), subthalamic nucleus, and dentate nucleus. After adjustment for disease duration and age at examination, correlations between regional brain R2* values and Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) total motor scores or subscores for bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, or axial motor deficits were investigated. RESULTS: Compared to controls, patients with PSP had significantly higher R2* values in all of the five brain regions. UPDRS total motor scores and subscores for bradykinesia and axial motor deficits did not correlate with R2* values of the five brain regions. However, UPDRS subscores for unilateral rigidity were correlated with R2* values of the contralateral putamen and GP. In addition, unilateral UPDRS subscores for tremor were associated with R2* values of the ipsilateral dentate nucleus, contralateral putamen, GP, and SN. CONCLUSION: In PSP, excessive iron accumulation occurs in motor-related subcortical regions. Iron-related PSP pathologies in the lenticular nucleus are associated with rigidity severity, while those in the nigro-striato-pallidal unit and dentate nucleus are associated with tremor severity. Bradykinesia and axial motor deficits of PSP seem to be associated with widespread pathologies in the cerebrum, brainstem, cerebellum, as well as the basal ganglia.